Lost Phone Stories

Genre: Compilation / Visual Novel / Simulation

Players: 1

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Review:

(Note: Both of the games in this Compilation are included in another Compilation, Accidental Queens Collection, along with Alt-Frequencies.)

Lost Phone Stories is a Compilation that includes A Normal Lost Phone and Another Lost Phone: Laura’s Story. Both games are Visual Novels presented in the form of a Simulation of a smartphone. Players take the role of a random person who found a smartphone and is trying to figure out who it belonged to, what led to them losing the phone, and possibly how to return it to them. Both games were released on mobile devices and PC in 2017, and ported to Nintendo Switch in 2018, with this Compilation also being released on Nintendo Switch in 2018.

Here is what I thought of both of the games in this collection:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Grade
A Normal Lost Phone	Visual Novel / Simulation	1	B-
tl;dr A Normal Lost Phone is a Visual Novel told in the form of a Simulation of a smartphone that players have found and are trying to look through to uncover the story of what happened to its owner. It’s a good, emotional, well-grounded story told in a clever way, and it’s well worth a look if you’re a fan of Visual Novels. The ideal platform for this game is still undoubtedly the smartphone it’s intended to emulate, but the Nintendo Switch makes for an adequate substitute.
Another Lost Phone: Laura’s Story	Visual Novel / Simulation	1	C
tl;dr Another Lost Phone is a Visual Novel told in the form of a Simulation of a smartphone that players have found and are trying to look through to uncover the story of what happened to its owner. The story here is excellent, but the changes made to the interface and puzzle design this time around make for a much worse experience. If you play this game in handheld mode and don’t mind keeping a walkthrough on hand for the puzzles, you may enjoy this game, but everyone else is better off avoiding it.

In short, while both games feature similar gameplay, and while I do prefer the story of Another Lost Phone, the multiple gameplay issues in that game make it worse than its predecessor. Both games are roughly 2 hours long, best played using a walkthrough guide for the puzzles, best played in handheld mode using the touchscreen, and if we’re being really honest here, both games are probably best played on the platform they were clearly intended for, the smartphone. However, if you’d rather play these games on Nintendo Switch for whatever reason, and don’t mind keeping a walkthrough handy, these are two compelling, down-to-Earth stories (each with its own unique characters and themes), presented in a clever fashion.

In terms of value, this collection saves you $4 off the price of buying both of these games separately, which is a pretty good deal if you were planning on getting both games. I should point out that spending another $5 to get the Accidental Queens Collection will get you both of these games plus Alt-Frequencies, saving you a total of $8 off the combined price of each, so be sure to decide whether or not you’re interested in getting that game as well.

Overall, Lost Phone Stories is a bundle of two great stories at a good price, but they come with the caveats I mentioned above – you’ll likely want a walkthrough guide while you play, the games play better in handheld mode, and these games were clearly intended for play on smartphones. However, if none of those things bothers you, Lost Phone Stories is worth a look.

tl;dr – Lost Phone Stories is a Compilation that includes A Normal Lost Phone and Another Lost Phone: Laura’s Story, two Visual Novels presented as a simulation of a missing smartphone players are trying to investigate to learn about its owner. Both stories are compelling and down-to-Earth, but will likely require a walkthrough to get past their puzzles, and the gameplay here was clearly intended for play using the touchscreen in handheld mode or, more appropriately, played on an actual Smartphone. However, if you can get past those issues, Lost Phone Stories is well worth playing.

Grade: C+

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